Netflix isn’t just a streaming service anymore. Now, we can add TV channel to the descriptor. At least, in France.
According to a report from Variety, Netflix has launched a new 24/7 content channel, Direct, which is debuting in France right now. The channel is a curated content machine that will pump out French, international, and US feature films and TV series that are currently available on the service. Think of it as HBO by way of Netflix. However, it’s not going to be available, yet at least, on any set-top boxes. You can view Direct, if you are in France, by going to the company’s web browser version.
“Whether you are lacking inspiration or whether you are discovering Netflix for the first time, you could let yourself be guided for the first time without having to choose a particular title and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of Netflix’s library,” said Netflix.
While it may seem random for Netflix to choose France and the country’s approximately 9 million subscribers to test Direct, it might not be as arbitrary as you assume. You see, France is at the center of one of the biggest hurdles facing Netflix right now—credibility.
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For years now, we’ve seen Netflix clash with the French government and the Cannes Film Festival over whether or not the films released by Netflix are actual “films” in the strictest sense of the word. The main issue is the window of exclusivity that films face in France. Under the current law, a film that plays in theaters has to wait 36 months before being released on a streaming service. This is the antithesis of what Netflix wants to do. And the streaming service has been fighting to allow for special circumstances so that the company’s features could play at Cannes and in local cinemas before arriving on the service a short time later. 36 months, aka three years, just won’t cut it.
While Netflix hasn’t outright spoken about how Direct might be involved, but you have to wonder if this is part of the streaming service’s attempt to win over France a bit more? Perhaps, Netflix believes this could further legitimize the company in the eyes of French citizens and lead to Cannes and the government loosening rules in the future?
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Regardless, this is a huge step for Netflix, especially if Direct is an initiative that begins to roll out worldwide. One of the biggest complaints about the service is the paralysis that customers feel when facing their daunting queues. Deciding what to choose can take up more time than actually watching the program. Why not allow for Netflix to just force-feed you the content in a way the company believes is best? At least, if you’re just wanting something to keep on in the background, Direct could be it. Not only that, if for no other reason, the channel serves as a 24/7 infomercial for Netflix content.
It’s unclear if the channel will debut elsewhere soon or at all. We’ll just have to wait and see how France reacts to it.